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Situational Crime Prevention Used in an Urban Hospital Setting

NCJ Number
150263
Journal
Security Journal Volume: 4 Issue: 2 Dated: (April 1993) Pages: 87-96
Author(s)
B J Scaglione
Date Published
1993
Length
10 pages
Annotation
Data from Bellevue Hospital Center in New York City formed the basis of an analysis of crime patterns and characteristics of reported crimes at the hospital during 1989 and were used to develop a comprehensive crime prevention program that included situational crime prevention theories.
Abstract
Crime was analyzed for the victim's age and sex, the day of the week, the month, the time, the location, the type of crime, and the victim's status in relation to the hospital. Results revealed that 169 of the 472 reported crimes were petit larceny, while disorderly conduct accounted for 154 incidents. Overall, property crime accounted for 40.88 percent of the crimes. Crime did not vary significantly by day or month. The day shift accounted for 57.48 percent of the shifts. The ground floor, the emergency room, and other specific floors accounted for 68.68 percent of the crimes. Patterns were also found for the victim's classification, sex, and age. The crime prevention program will increase surveillance through closed-circuit television cameras in the high-crime locations and through increased police presence in these areas. Other efforts will include building repairs and the use of locks, mirrors, and other physical changes. The overall goal is a well-organized, viable, long-term program to identify crime problems and make efforts to resolve them. 17 references